Escape
by orchids117
Summary: She just needs to get out. After what happened on Aqu, Jenny doesn't think she can face her parents ever again. So where does she go? Back to a place they'd never think to look to talk to an old friend. (One shot in connection with the Dimensions series.)


**Set just after the events on Aqu as detailed in "Silence Will Fall no More".**

 **Disclaimer: All rights to Doctor Who belong to the BBC.**

* * *

 **Escape.**

She needed to get out.

Jenny didn't tell anyone she was leaving. Not even Mara. She wrote them a note—one she was sure they would react to with understanding when they found it. Or she hoped they would.

The TARDIS hummed at her sadly as she stepped into the console room.

She glanced up at the rotor as she set the letter down on the controls. "I know. I'm sorry girl. I just can't be with them right now."

She flashed her lights and chirped. Jenny swallowed, and patted the console. "I'll miss you too. Take care of them for me."

The TARDIS hummed again.

She sighed heavily, and inputted the coordinates into her vortex manipulator. She paused with her hand over the button that would whisk her away, and took one last glance around the room. What she was about to do was going to hurt, but it had to be done if she wanted time to herself.

She closed her eyes, and concentrated inward until she found the space where her family's telepathic bond was. She could see them all—bright and shining—in her mind. And for a moment her resolve wavered.

She shook her head. This had to be done.

With a deep breath, she reached out to where her own light connected to the others, and placed a damper between them and herself. It wouldn't sever the bond completely, she couldn't do that even if she wanted to, but it would make it so they wouldn't be able to read her emotions. She would just be a hum at the back of their minds. They wouldn't even be able to contact her telepathically. And, most importantly, it would be nearly impossible for them to find her.

She winced as the damper settled into place. The loss of connection to her family caused a twinge of pain to shoot out between her eyes. One she hoped she would soon learn to ignore.

With a sigh, she opened her eyes.

She took another long look around the console room. She gave the console one last affectionate pat as her eyes roved over the flight controls. The TARDIS hummed sadly.

Jenny swallowed, and leaned over to kiss the console. "Love you, too."

The TARDIS chirped and dimmed her lights as Jenny straightened up. She pulled in a deep breath and nodded to herself before she closed her eyes and pressed down on the vortex manipulator controls.

She'd known where she needed to go shortly after she'd made the decision to leave. It was the same asteroid bazaar Clara—or really, one of her echoes—had sent her to after she'd woken up from closing the paradox on Messaline.

After what had happened on Aqu, she just needed somewhere to escape. Somewhere that Mara didn't know about and her parents would never think to look.

This place was perfect for that.

She smiled to herself as she entered Rally's bar and sat down at the counter.

The man himself appeared from a doorway that led to a backroom and raised his eyebrows. "Didn't expect to ever see you around here again."

Her lips pulled up into a half smile. "Missed you too, Rally." She tossed a couple coins onto the table. "Got anything new?"

He stared at her warily before he grunted and pulled out a dusty bottle from under the counter. "I'd say to be careful with this, but I s'pose you'll just ignore me."

"Sounds about right," she answered as she took the glass he handed her. "So what should we toast to?" she asked as he poured himself a glass.

He glanced around the bar and she followed his gaze. It appeared as though nothing had changed. The walls were still grimy with the years of stains that coated the paint. The floors were still covered in trash and dirt, and the windows were still primarily held together with what looked like duct tape.

Rally snorted. "To time passing by."

"I'll drink to that," she said quietly, and tapped her glass to his before they both knocked back their drinks. "Guh," she gasped as she set the glass down. "It's been a while."

The bartender took her glass to refill it. "How long?"

"Oh…too long," she said as memories of everything that had passed between the last time she'd sat on these stools and now ran through her mind. "20 years at least."

That got both of Rally's eyebrows raised, but he didn't comment until he had emptied his glass again. He shook his head. "How is that possible?"

She chuckled. "Did I not mention I'm a time traveler?"

"No."

She swirled the liquid in her glass before downing it. She pulled in a breath. "Well I am." She looked him over as he took her glass. "How long has it been for you?"

He shrugged. "A year maybe—give or take a month."

She felt her lips tug back into a small smile. That meant that she was on Earth with her mum and dad running away from the Angels by now. That felt so long ago now. She'd changed so much in the time that had passed. More than she'd realized. She used to be so optimistic—when had that changed?

She swallowed. She knew exactly when that had changed. When she'd watched her parents sacrifice an entire race for what they claimed to be "the good of the universe". She just couldn't understand how something meant for good could cause so much death. She couldn't understand how her father could commit genocide when he'd condemned so many others for the same actions, and she could _not_ understand how her mum could stay with him after that. How could she, of all people, condone such an act?

She'd always known that her dad changed the people who traveled with him. That was an undeniable fact. But she'd never believed he could get them to condone the needless taking of lives, and she'd never believed he could do such a thing. And now, faced with the cold fact that he _could—_ and would—be capable of such a thing, she knew she had to get out. She had to escape before he changed her too. Even if that meant she had to leave the people she loved most behind.

"Well," she said, and raised her glass. "Here's to change." She finished off her drink and set the cup back on the counter before she stood. "Good to see you, Rally."

He stopped her by grabbing her wrist.

She froze, and turned back to look at him with curiosity. His eyes were narrowed. "What happened? Where are those parents you were waiting for?"

She glanced down at the floor as he released her. "Oh, I'm sure they're around." She shrugged. "Thought I should be on my own for a while."

"Where will you go?" he asked.

She bit her lip, and shrugged. "Anywhere. Wherever the time winds take me."

He stared at her for a moment before he nodded. "Watch yourself, Tyler."

She smiled at that and turned to leave. "You too, Rally."

For the first time since Aqu, she felt that spark of enthusiasm shoot down to her toes. And, in that moment of elation, she started running.

 _Fin._


End file.
